How to Get Your Playbook Together - Step 1

In my previous post we talked about the importance for your team to have a good Playbook created – a plan that all members of your team are familiar with and clearly communicates what their role is in achieving your goals.

The best plans are developed with a bit of research and a lot of input, so before you begin, research what’s working and not working in your business (try using the Five Questions from my previous post with your coworkers). Also share what’s happening in your industry, your target markets, and your competitors’

businesses. Follow these two simple steps to establish clarity, alignment, and a more focused and collaborative approach to your goals.  We’ll go over the first in this post and introduce the second in my next post.

STEP 1

The motto in a Collaborative Workplace is “The more people know, the more they can contribute.” Make it possible for all team members to contribute by first taking time to educate them on the essential elements of your business.

1. Customers: Do they know who your best customers are? What makes a best customer? Is it profitability, volume, low service needs, cross-sell ratios, or some other factors? What steps do they need to take to create more “best customers”?
2. Products: What products and services do you offer? How do your products work together and complement one another? What benefits do they bring to your customers?
3. Competitors: What do competitors do better than you? What do you do better than your competitors? On what basis do you want to compete? How do you improve your competitive advantage?
4. Industry and Market Trends: What is happening in your industry? What are customers experiencing, and how does that influence their needs and demands?
5. Financials: How are you doing financially? How do you make money? What are your most significant revenue drivers? What drives costs?

Do you have the answers to these questions?  If not, assign each category to one of your team members.  Remember, the more they know, the more they can contribute.

Be sure to look out for my next post where we’ll introduce the second step in getting your Playbook together and working for you.